Chapter 77
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Penthouse Intrigue
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Whether they were banking on the proverb that it's darkest right beneath the lamp, or simply because this place was one of the top hotels in Korea...
The address Bella had sent was a luxury hotel smack in the middle of Seoul.
The highest floor, no less—the best room they had.
From the window in that room, you could probably take in the whole city.
It irked me a little.
A underworld crime syndicate that could shake the world ought to be hiding in the shadows, yet here they were, brazenly claiming the hotel's absolute finest suite.
Even if Korea had an S-Rank Hero, would it still be like this?
I'd heard they kept a low profile in America and Russia, which only made it grate on me more.
"...So you're here..."
As I pulled the van right up to the hotel entrance, one of the staff came rushing toward us.
Then he hesitated, stopping in his tracks for a moment.
Wondering what was up, I rolled down the window, and the staffer stammered.
"...Uh, the v-valet..."
The hotel employee was eyeing our van.
Fair enough—not many people probably rolled up to a place like this in a van, especially when rolling down the window revealed two rough-looking guys covered in tattoos.
"...It's fine. Park it and come up."
"...Got it."
I got out alone and headed inside.
Ornate chandeliers and soft amber lighting blanketing the entire lobby.
A classical melody I'd never heard before played softly in the background, soothing the soul.
I'd always prided myself on staying at some pretty upscale hotels, but the top-tier ones in Korea were on another level.
And the one downside to a place like this? Me and Bella upstairs were probably the only issue.
Suppressing the urge to peel off my tattoo stickers, I hurried into the elevator.
Luckily, one was waiting right there on the first floor.
The hotel's top floor.
I knocked on the door of the largest suite among them.
"It's open."
"..."
I turned the handle lightly and pushed; the door swung open smoothly without resistance.
Was it carelessness with security, or just rock-solid confidence?
Bella wasn't big on locking doors properly.
Stepping inside felt less like a hotel room and more like a rich family's mansion.
Kitchen, master bedroom, living room—all separate.
Bella was lounging on the living room sofa.
Her sharp bob haircut, tattoos etched into every corner of her body.
Her face still held a hint of youthful innocence, but she fixed me with a cold stare from the sofa.
"Hmph..."
...Had she made me?
Honestly, I'd only slapped on the clothes and tattoo stickers—no real disguise.
"...Ah, damn. Korean gangsters all look the damn same... All of 'em with those flashy arm tats."
It was blatantly racist, but since Bella herself didn't look all that Western, it somehow came off forgivable.
She softened her stiff expression a bit and crossed her legs.
"So? Why do you wanna join up with us?"
"...Because Wolf's the world's top villain outfit."
Of course, that was a lie.
The real world's top villain group was someone else entirely.
But I lied smoothly anyway.
"I can see the flattery a mile away."
Exactly as she said.
Still, her eyes curved into crescent moons.
"But honestly? I like flatterers better than clueless idiots."
"..."
Figured as much.
I could see it plain as day, after all.
Praise, Craves Domination, Master
Reading Bella's fetish emotion, I thought to myself.
This world really was nothing but a playground for me.
How could I slowly imprint myself on her as her master?
I shoved that thought aside for later.
Infiltrating Wolf came first.
"Fine. A guy like you passes."
Bella nodded readily.
But—
[Quest has not been cleared.]
Oddly, the quest hadn't cleared.
Seeing that, I realized her "you pass" was just empty words.
Bella doesn't fully trust me yet.
That meant her guard was higher than I'd thought.
"So, what's next?"
"...Alright, hand over your phone. Go spring one of our guys from here. You've got two days."
"...You got it."
I answered gruffly on purpose.
I could sing Wolf's praises all I wanted, but from here on, no more sucking up to Bella.
No being nice or servile, either.
Because I had to become her master.
She eyed my sudden shift in attitude a little oddly, but I didn't care.
And then my driver showed up.
"B-Bella, ma'am..."
"...What? Oh, the one you said you spared...?"
"My driver."
"Says who?"
"That a problem?"
Bella's tone turned icy, but I held my ground, staring down into her eyes.
The one most terrified by our standoff was the driver, ironically.
"N-No..."
He trembled, glancing back and forth between Bella and me.
Then Bella let out a smirk and waved him off.
"Fine. Use him as your driver."
She brushed it off like he was worthless anyway, but this moment would linger in her mind often.
A guy who knew who she was and still stood up to her? It'd been a while.
I left Bella's suite with the driver.
And told him where we were headed.
The place where the comrade I needed to rescue was held.
The driver reacted with confusion.
"...What, turning yourself in?"
"Nah, just visiting a friend."
"...Yes, sir."
I slumped into the van seat and let out a sigh.
"...Gotta file the interim report."
With that, I headed straight for the Major Crimes Division.
"W-We got the rough story from the bookstore guys... Y-You really went all out, huh..."
"...Yeah."
"...Well, Heroes catching villains is just par for the course. No need to feel down about it."
I played it subdued in my response, and the squad chief patted my shoulder with a relieved smile.
Good call acting deflated.
If I'd been casual about it, he'd have thought something was off.
And yeah, even I had to admit I'd gone overboard spectacularly.
"You met that Bella, then."
"Yes. Here."
I pulled up the map app and showed him the location; the chief's face scrunched up instantly.
"Holy hell..."
He stared at the app in disbelief, then clicked his tongue.
"Even knowing the spot, what can we do?"
Exactly.
She was an S-Rank villain, after all.
"Any other intel?"
"They don't fully trust me yet."
"...Figures. Never been a villain volunteering to join Wolf before."
The chief nodded.
Wolf's rep terrified every villain in the country, yet none tried to join.
Even if they did, carving out a spot in Wolf was a pipe dream.
It was a real villain outfit that treated even A-Rank villains like pawns.
"Guess I need to follow orders, build trust first."
"...Call anytime you need backup. Keep filing those interim reports."
I nodded and made the request I'd been waiting to drop.
"...That guy still around?"
"Which one?"
"The skinny one with the fierce eyes and wolf tattoo..."
"Ah, Alex. He's in interrogation."
The chief knew exactly who I meant the second I described him.
"Mind if I take a crack at questioning him?"
"...Yourself?"
He thought it over, then nodded.
"Not a problem. But the guy only speaks Russian."
"That's fine."
"...You speak it?"
He gave me a surprised look.
Russian speakers were rare, sure. But I could manage.
Then he laid out condition two.
"Everything—talks and footage—gets recorded. So no killing or torture..."
"Won't."
"...For real?"
God knows what the bookstore crew told him; he was looking at me like some psycho.
I promised I wouldn't and finally got into the interrogation room.
I added one more thing.
"And this guy—could we check him out for about a week? It's a direct mission from Bella."
"...I'll look into it."
The chief looked flustered as he made a call somewhere.
I slipped into the interrogation room in the meantime.
"...The retard's back."
Russian, of course.
No issue for me.
I had Translation.
"I understand everything."
"...I've already spilled everything I know."
I leaned in close and whispered in his ear.
"The artisanal burger joint near police HQ. And the top floor of Baekho Hotel."
"..."
His eyes shook.
But after a couple of deep breaths, he regained his cool.
"What's your game?"
"You know those places, right?"
He glanced at the one-way glass.
Couldn't see out from inside, but they could see in from outside.
"Yeah, I know 'em fine... The guys out there know?"
"Nah, but I might tell 'em."
"...You haven't?"
I waved my tattooed arm.
Then whispered just loud enough for Alex to hear.
"Yeah. I'm here to bust you out."
"...Me? From here? ...That idiot Bella..."
Even as he said it, a smile crept onto Alex's face.
"Hold up. Gotta confirm you're really Alex first."
"This tat on my neck's proof enough."
Alex pointed to the wolf emblem on his throat.
But I shook my head.
"Nah. Someone said our ops might be leaking to Major Crimes."
"...Yeah, I got nabbed outta nowhere by these guys..."
Sounded like he had his own story; he nodded at my words.
"No trick questions. Just tell me about Bella. Her birthday?"
"Hah, classic Bella."
He'd tensed up, but it was an easy one, so he answered without suspicion.
The mood softened way more than before, and he spilled on every question.
Intel for taking down Bella started piling up.